Thursday, January 5, 2012

2011 was a good year by Terry Burns

I’ve been with Hartline for ten years in February (2/13/02), have been an agent there for five years of that time (10/18/2006), and have been involved in writing and publishing (primarily business oriented) for some twenty years before that time, before I turned to writing fiction and recognized the need for an agent. . Starting a new year seems like a good time to look back over the past year and see how it shook out.

Photo is me with Bonnie Calhoun at ACFW as she received the "Mentor of the Year" Award.

The numbers tell a lot of the story. I ended the year with 61 clients and have done 119 book contracts for them, 23 of them multi-book contracts. That means that 71% of my clients have published since signing with me. That is certainly no record, but it’s not a bad average. I went through over 3400 submissions to select these clients, again surely not a record, but it feels like a lot.

But the numbers don’t tell the entire story. I do work with a large number of new writers and I’m usually in the number one spot on the list of agents placing debut authors on the Publishers Marketplace website. That also means I work with more small publishers than some in helping these debut authors get their start. I get a lot of pleasure out of helping new writers get started.

I do an occasional contract with a client for a single book, but most Hartline clients sign for “all book length work.” That means we are more interested in helping them develop their career, not just sell a book. I helped Jennifer Hudson Taylor get her first book in print and now she has eight books in print or under contract. Max Elliot Anderson had a number of books in print but his publisher went out of business. We were able to find a publisher that would reissue those books and he has gone on to have 17 ‘books for (reluctant reader) boys’ in print or under contract and is still going strong. While with me Jill Williamson won a Christy with her “By Darkness Hid” and though she no longer uses an agent has gone on to win a second Christy.

I require that my clients all be in an online group that gives me an opportunity to contact all of them at once. They do have the option of being in the side of the group that can talk to one another or the side that only receives priority messages from me. The full access side have become very close to one another and have also turned out to be a group of prayer warriors that support one another, celebrate each other’s successes and support each other when projects don’t get picked up. It’s an amazing group.

Just as Joyce got me started in the business I have worked with a number of assistants and some have gone on to an expanded role in the publishing industry. Two have formed small publishing houses that are growing by leaps and bounds. Kristine Pratt founded Written World Communications, and Randall Mooney Crossover Publications. Linda Glaz went from being an assistant to becoming a Hartline agent in her own right, and two, Tammy Barley and Normandie Fischer became editors at Written World. Jennifer Hudson Taylor is now the in-house publicist at Hartline and is getting her own publicist company established as well. I have some new assistants working with me now.

What does the future hold? We have several hundred submissions out for clients and spend a huge amount of time trying to identify that editor that we feel is a good potential fit for a project. The economy may have a lot to do with the amount of success we can expect to see. Changes in the industry have a lot to do with it as well and we work hard to keep our clients positioned on the cutting edges of changes that are occurring, particularly with digital books. Change has always been the hallmark of the publishing industry, but I don’t remember a time when it was as pronounced or as fast moving as it is now.

2 comments:

Wow, impressive statistics. I see you really put your heart into helping new authors and making sure all you work with have support. I pray that you continue the good work you are doing. There needs to be more Christian books out on the market.Have a blessed day.

MEET THE HARTLINE AGENTS

Joyce Hart, Owner and principal agent

Joyce Hart, owner and principal agent of Hartline Literary Agency has been a literary agent for more than a decade. She was formerly the vice president of marketing of an inspirational publishing company and as the president of Hartline Marketing has nearly thirty-two years of successful experience marketing and promoting books. Joyce has been a pioneer in selling high-quality fiction to the inspirational market and has built an excellent rapport with leading inspirational publishers. A member of ACFW, and the National Association of Professional Women, Joyce is a graduate of Open Bible College, Des Moines, IA now merged with Eugene Bible College in Eugene, Oregon. Joyce is based at Hartline Literary's Pittsburgh headquarters.

Diana Flegal, Agent

Diana currently lives in Asheville NC. A Bible College major in Missions and Anthropology, Diana has been a medical missionary to Haiti, a women's speaker and bible study leader. One of her life's highlights has been teaching apologetics to high school students as preparatory for college. Avid reader and intuitive editor, Diana's represents nonfiction and well written fiction. She has a passion for getting great writers published.

Jim Hart, Agent

Jim Hart is looking for authors who can write unique and engaging fictional suspense, romance, women’s fiction, historical fiction and some sci-fi. Jim is also interested in non-fiction regarding church growth, Christian living, and self-help. Keep in mind that non-fiction topics require a certain level of credentials, experience and expertise. The author will need an appropriate platform to present a non-fiction proposal.

Currently Jim is not looking at children’s, young adult or Biblical fiction proposals.

He holds a degree in Production Journalism and worked for twenty years in direct mail advertising before taking a job with an urban social services agency, where he worked for twelve years. All during his professional career, Jim has served with the local church doing youth ministry and music/worship ministry. He is a credentialed minister with the Assemblies of God, and serves part-time as Worship Pastor in his local church in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Linda Glaz, Agent

Linda is an experienced editor, reviewer and writer, and for a couple of years was a final reader for Wild Rose Press, then for White Rose Publishing and she worked as an editorial assistant for Hartline Agent Terry Burns. She has judged for numerous contests including the Genesis for the American Christian Fiction Writers, as well as the Emily Award for the West Houston Chapter of the Romance Writers of America. She has been on the faculty for Faithwriters.com annual conference, Maranatha, and is slated for numerous others in 2013. Linda understands writers because she's a writer herself with 4 books releasing in 2013.linda@hartlineliterary.comhttp://lindaglaz.blogspot.com/

Andy Scheer, Agent

Andy has a wealth of experience as a publishing professional with over 18 years as the managing editor of Moody Magazine, 8 years as the managing editor for the Christian Writer’s Guild, and as a free-lance writer and editor. He is a frequent instructor at writing conferences around the country. A journalism graduate from Colorado State University, he also attended Denver Seminary. Andy is a consummate professional and will be a great addition to the Hartline team.